Carl's Jr. - Austin, TX

Pressed for time this afternoon, I made my maiden voyage to the Carl's Jr. drive-thru.  Yes, I promise I won't review too many fast food places, as most opinions have long since been formed, and it's generally not interesting, but I felt compelled to review this one for a few reasons:

1.  Carl's Jr. is quite easily the dumbest name I've ever heard for a restaurant, no offense to Carl or his dad.

2.  A Hardee's Mushroom & Swiss loyalist (I'm from the midwest) as a kid, this was my first visit to it's twin brother.

3.  They've brought Pulp Fiction's Big Kahuna Burger to the real world, and to the lucky residents of Westlake.

And because everything is funnier in German...

Anyway....

Cleverly disguised as the Teriyaki Burger, we all know what this is.

Yep.

Chargrilled beef, grilled pineapple, Swiss (the fake kind) cheese, tomato, red onion and mayonnaise.  Yep, Sammy Jack's favorite, the Big Kahuna Burger.  Worthy of a tasty beverage to WASH down this tasty burger.

I opted to go without lettuce, according to the picture menu it looked like the wilted green variety that certainly wouldn't make the drive, and I'd recommend you do the same.

This thing was actually really good, though you'd better be ready for the sweet tang of teriyaki sauce.  Now I've never been to a Carl's Jr., but they do a good burger.  It's actually got flavor, a nice chargrilled flavor at that, without that sickly gassy flavor that other fast food joints have, though I won't say who.

Anyway, in addition to the beef, the sauce was pretty good, and onion was perfect to cut the sweet of both it and the pineapple, as well as add a much needed texture to an otherwise very soft (and that's a good thing) sandwich.

Decent fast food if your'e in the mood for fast food.



Summary:

It's fast food, I'm not going to bother with this.

Texas Honey Ham Company - Austin, TX

Texas Honey Ham.................YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAWWWWWW!

Reviewed this one already...

http://thefatartery.blogspot.com/2011/11/texas-honey-ham-company.html

...but stopped in for breakfast yesterday after hearing their breakfast tacos were no joke.

Their breakfast tacos were no joke.

Sausage and egg, bacon and egg, baked potato hash and egg, and ham, egg and serranos.

All were very good...but let me sidestep here and say that just watching the guy working the morning shift on the flattop yesterday was like watching an artist with a canvas.  Eggs handled right hand only...crack, split, tossed...yes tossed (his range was about two and half feet) to the appropriate part of the griddle in the same swoop that delivered the shell to the trash.  His work with the spatulas (two of them simultaneously) puts him one rice volcano and a shrimp flip shy of the great Benny Hanna, and has me thinking his chopstick skills might rival Miyagi.

That said, back to the tacos.  All were good, the eggs being that half scrambled variety that though properly chopped together with the rest of the ingredients, leave you with a few really nice yolk bites and some texture.  The meat, all good, though there is no chorizo on the menu and the sausage, while nice, was fairly bland.  Ham was their signature ham, nicely chunked and sweet and salty at the same time.  Bacon, not over crisp, but not chewy.  Perfect consistency to be cut into the egg.  Potatoes were a nice change from a hash brown, darker in color and a little deeper in flavor, though I couldn't exactly put my finger on what they had done to them.  Tortillas were soft, and nicely wrapped in foil perfect for eating in the car if you needed to, and the salsa was homemade and fresh, on the mild side, but perfectly complementary of the tacos, not overpowering in flavor nor heat.  My recommendation if you're into heat in the morning is to adjust it using peppers.  Mild:  just use the salsa.  Medium:  get fresh jalapenos cut into your taco.  Hot:  same but with the serranos.  Just enough heat to make it hum, but not enough to cause you to turn back around on your way to work.

So, my order of preference of these things:

1.  Ham, egg, serrano
2.  Bacon and egg
3.  Baked potato hash and egg
4.  Sausage and egg

Alphabetical order of these things:

1.  Bacon and egg
2.  Baked potato hash and egg
3.  Ham, egg, serrano
4.  Sausage and egg

Front to back on the pig:

1.  Baked potato hash and egg (they'll eat anything, and trust me you want the way in, not out)
2.  Sausage and egg
3.  Bacon and egg
4.  Ham and egg

Right aligned, reverse alphabetical by ninth to last character, spaces being before A and punctuation being after Z:

1.  Ham, egg, serrano

2.  Bacon and egg

3.  Baked potato hash and egg

4.  Sausage and egg

Now, all that said, this is a mix and match place.   I'm a heat and freshness guy, so will opt for the serranos on whatever I get next, and though I do love the front part of the pig, I'll probably pass on the sausage and stick to ham and bacon.

Maybe I'll add some cheese to complete the trifecta...

Summary:

Check out the prior review.

Torchy's Tacos - Austin, TX

Torchy's Tacos has a following like no other taco place in Austin, or Texas for that matter, stemming from a loyal student base in search of great food on the cheap.   It's this following that has allowed Torchy's to aggressively expand, from it's start as one of Austin's premier trailers, to numerous brick and mortar locations around Austin, and now...GASP!...Dallas.

I've been a fan of Torchy's since my first visit, and unless I'm in a rush and passing by a location, I like to head down to it's humble beginnings, in the trailer park of South 1st, one of the nicest and easiest in town.

Now, first things first.  Let's boil down what kind of "Mexican" we're talking about here, an important first step for anyone looking for "Mexican" food in Austin.  I've drawn up a little organizational chart here, focusing on the taco side of the equation.

First things first, let's differentiate between Mexican and Tacos.  If you're "going out for Mexican", you're talking about more of a full meal, ranging from something like Taco Cabana to Maudie's to Fonda San Miguel.  Varying degrees of quality, options including enchiladas, burritos, plates, rice, beans, and also different styles such as Interior Mexican, Tex-Mex, or Coastal Mexican.  Now, tacos may very well be a part of your Mexican meal, and that's alright.  For instance, I ate at Maudie's last night.  We "went out for Mexican" and in this instance, Tex-Mex.  I had a combination plate featuring among other things, a crispy beef taco.  But we didn't "go out for tacos", like we did Saturday, when we hit up Torchy's, meaning we were heading somewhere specializing primarily in tacos, though most will likely feature things like chips, salsas, queso, and in the case of some of the authentic Mexican places, tortas...the Mexican sandwich.  That said, generally you're talking about a quicker, more on-the-go meal, something you might associate more with lunch, carry-out, or late-night.

Alright, now that we've got that out of the way, let's briefly touch what I view as this area's primary taco types.

Mexican Street Tacos:  these are the more authentic Mexican tacos, ranging from the more normal classic recipes for al pastor (pork), picadillo (ground beef), and bistec (steak), to the scary...lengua (cow tongue), tripas (small intestine), cabeza (cow face)...and always served on small, usually corn, tortillas with minimal accompaniments, typically cilantro, onion and lime, and your choice of red or green salsa.

Tex-Mex:  think back to taco day at your elementary school growing up, and you've got it, and if your school didn't have taco day, God help you, then drive through Taco Bell and take a look at the menu.  Crispy corn taco shells or soft flour tortillas, seasoned ground beef or shredded chicken, beef or chicken fajita, you got it.  Cheese is typically a component of these tacos, as well as some combination of lettuce, onion, tomato, and salsa.

Fusion:  we're seeing these in the taco trucks quite a bit around here...Korean, Vietnamese, Barbecue, Southern...any kind of non-Mexican food prepared in a tortilla, typically with some sort of meat or vegetable base, cooked, and then any sort of toppings depending on the style...kimchee, slaw, carrots, greens...you name it.   REALLY good.  Not Mexican.

Breakfast:  the pride of Austin, with everyone and their brother, mother, grandmother and everyother making them...I mean come on you can go to Dan's Hamburgers in the morning and get breakfast tacos.  Sounds like a Mexican breakfast joint, doesn't it?  Anyway, you know the drill here, basically corn or flour tortillas, base of eggs, and any assortment and combination of meat, beans, vegetables, tortilla chips, herbs, etc.  Basically, its how you need to start your day.

And there you have it.  Sorry to have digressed.

Alright, so then back to Torchy's.  From a classification standpoint, I'm going to consider Torchy's a Tex-Mex Fusion with side of Breakfast and just a spritz of Street.

Chemically,

 S-Tm – F (B)-S

So I got an assortment to bring back to the house on Saturday for My Lovely Wife Mrs. Gordo and me to share.  First off, they traveled well, due to care in preparation.  Salsas, specific to each taco, are left off of the taco and served in little containers, keeping liquid from gumming up the tortilla.  They're also wrapped tightly in foil, giving juice from the meat little room to squeeze out to the outside of the tortilla.  So, I got all of ours on flour and cut them in half upon arrival for your viewing pleasure.

From left to right:  Ranch Hand, Crossroads, Trailer Park, and Dirty Sanchez.

The Ranch Hand was my least favorite of the four, but not because of failed preparation or a bad mix of ingredients...it was just ordinary, lacking the creativity, flair and flavor that the others celebrated.  Don't get me wrong, this is a good taco, and though not in the breakfast portion of the menu, is basically a steak breakfast taco.  Ample, fluffy scrambled eggs, grilled beef fajita, and shredded cheese, served with their homemade Diablo Sauce, which is basically kind of a creamy fire-roasted habanero sauce, which is quite excellent.  Frankly with the tiny amount of beef featured on this taco, it provided all of the flavor, which was great, but pretty basic.

From here on out it gets a bit more difficult to rank them, as each is very different, very good, very innovative, and any one of them could be your favorite based on what you're feeling like the day you're there.  So let's move to the Crossroads.  Smoked beef brisket with grilled onions, jalapenos, cilantro, jack cheese, and a slice of avocado served with tomatillo sauce.  WELL DONE, TORCHY'S!  What I really like about this is that it's a brisket taco with a great charred and smoky flavor, complemented with sweet grilled onions and the crisp bite of jalapenos and cilantro.  The intentionally acidic tomatillo salsa is a perfect match for this one, with it's vinegary bite and heat cutting through the smoke and tender juiciness of the meat.

Trailer Park.  BAM!  I resisted the temptation to go trashy on this one, replacing the lettuce with queso,  though I'm not sure that really makes it all that much healthier.  Either way, this one is GOOD.  Fried chicken, green chilies, lettuce, pico de gallo and cheese with poblano sauce, an almost jalapeno/poblano infused ranch dressing which is fantastic, and goes really well with this one...think chicken fingers and ranch.  Yep.  The chicken is hot, juicy and crunchy, and the lettuce and pico provide both a temperature contrast and a cool crispness that make this thing perfect.

Dirty Sanchez, also incredibly good, might be my favorite of the four, but I think it's going to depend on the day.  Ready?  Scrambled eggs, a breaded and fried poblano chile, guacamole, escabeche (pickled jalapenos and carrots), and shredded cheese with that same poblano sauce.  Again, think about anything fried...mushrooms, pickles, onions, potatoes, jalapenos...that you like to dip in ranch, and that's what you've got on a tortilla here with non-intrusive scrambled egg providing the body.

Summary

Atmosphere:  covered and uncovered picnic seating in a shaded trailer park, food truck, great place on a nice day for lunch, BYOB

Food:  Tacos

Crowd:  a little bit of everyone

Dog Friendly:  Yes

Best Time to Go:  lunch on a nice day

What to Order for the First Timer:  Trashy Trailer Park, Dirty Sanchez

Counter Cafe - Austin, TX

Walked down to Counter Cafe this morning with the intent of getting breakfast tacos, one of the two breakfasts I tend to rotate between when I go, but after a quick discussion with my waitress, I decided to go with the special of the day, two sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches on homemade biscuits.

Glad I did.  Great batch of sausage today.  Very fresh, cooked medium well, heavy on the sage and red pepper, giving it immense flavor and kick.  Topped off with a over-medium egg and shredded cheddar.

Full reviews here, just wanted to share today's special with you...

http://thefatartery.blogspot.com/2011/02/counter-cafe-austin-tx.html

http://thefatartery.blogspot.com/2011/02/counter-cafe-austin-tx_27.html

http://thefatartery.blogspot.com/2011/03/counter-cafe-austin-tx.html

24 Diner - Austin, TX

Alright, this is long overdue, but I've had a chance to eat at 24 Diner a few times in the last three weeks, so here goes...

24 reasons I love 24 Diner:

24:  Wait for your table while browsing the vinyl at Waterloo Records

23:  Short walk from the bars of West 6th, and more importantly, from my house

22:  Full bar and a great value wine list

21:  Hotchicks

20:  One of the best weekend hangover brunches in town

19:  Square cups

18:  Bloody Marys and Micheladas

17:  Deviled eggs with bacon on arugula with lemon vinaigrette

16:  Full Bar

15:  Macaroni and Cheese

14:  Incredible scenery

13:  Chicken and Waffles

12:  Sassy yet classy service

11:  On-Site ATM

10:  Meatloaf Sandwich

9:  They willingly serve drunks...food

8:  Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Brown Gravy

6:  Grilled Cheese

You know what one looks like

5:  Egg Sandwich

4:  Full Bar

3:  Bar Seating

2:  Open whenever you want to go there


1:  Full Bar

Hey, nobody said I could count

South Congress Cafe - Austin, TX

Who likes short shorts?

I do, I do.

But that has zero bearing and nothing to do with this review, terribly that just happens to be the song that's stuck in my head right now.  Not sure what I did to deserve this.

South Congress Cafe

This is a place on my "must go to" list for anyone going to Austin for short visit, particularly for a weekend.  Specialties:  dinner and brunch.  This place embodies Austin culture in a nice, clean setting better than anyplace in town, and with more than just the food.  A funky little spot on the continually growing South Congress strip, it offers a true taste of Austin featuring game, southwestern fare, and innovative creations with bold flavors.  It's also a fantastic place to belly up to the bar and have a drink and a meal.  AND, don't quote me on this because I'm not sure if it's still true, but if you sit at the bar, it's 20% off.  I'm not sure there is a better place in town for a morning after a long night for a bloody mary and some grub.

Let me start with brunch, because that's where I found myself on Saturday morning.  First off, YOU WILL WAIT for a table, but maximize it.  My recommendation is to pack yourself into the bar area and start with a bloody mary, or a beer, or a poison of your choosing.  It's tight, but there are seats for waiting around the bar area which you can snag if you're lucky.  On a nice day, if you don't feel like starting with booze before food, sit outside and watch all of the people, it's some of the best people watching you'll find in the city, with all walks of life, or stroll up and down and stop in the shops and outdoor stands filled with funky art, furniture, vintage clothing, costumes, and all sorts of crap you don't need.

So, the brunch menu features all sorts of incredible entrees ranging from breakfast to lunch to dinner to appetizers.  I'd recommend starting with some chips and salsa or queso as well as the prosciutto wrapped quail while you figure out what to order.  The breakfast options lean toward the savory, and include three to four omelets, three to four different benedicts, a smoked briskey hash, and the standard Mexican migas, and the lunch-type options range from burgers to venison meatloaf to fish.

I opted for the Italian omelet on this most recent trip, after a really tall bloody mary garnished with celery, olives, and a pepperocini.  The omelet was a fluffy egg disk stuffed with wild boar Italian sausage, a spicy pepper and onion mix, fresco, panela and asadero cheese, and was topped with a creamy tomato gorgonzola sauce, which was incredible.  Awesome combination of flavors, very savory, and served with a smoked gouda potato pancake with a dollop of sour cream, which is worth ordering in and of itself.

On the dinner side, I particularly like the mesquite smoked pork chop, the jalapeno-venison meatloaf, and most of all the barbecued quail, which is served on a bed of goat cheese bacon grits.  Yeah, that's right.  Goat cheese and bacon.  But choose what sounds good to you, as the menu is a great mix of steaks, pasta, and seafood, all of which are no doubt flavorful and well prepared.

This is one of my favorite spots to hit up if I'm looking for a good, casual dinner and am by myself.  It's the kind of bar you sit at, and will have conversations not only with the friendly staff, but with the locals as well who are also bellied up.  As I said from the get go, a must stop to experience Austin on a short trip for a short trip.

Summary

Atmosphere:  truly Austin, funky, great bar to sit at, fantastic place for a weekend brunch, good for groups, great if you're flying solo, great people-watching, nice place to take a date or meet a friend, great spot for meeting new people

Food:  southwestern, game, meats and seafoods

Dog Friendly:  no

Best Time to Go:  weekend brunch, dinner

Crowd:  eclectic, 20somethings, 30somethings, hotchicks, hipsters, beatniks, artists, musicians, loners, hangovers

What to Order for the First Timer:  quail

El Sazon De Gto - Austin, TX

Question.

If you find yourself driving on the winding roads of the hill country just fifteen minutes or so due west of downtown Austin on a crisp, clear morning, how are you NOT going to stop at this place when it jumps up on you "just up around the bend" in the middle of seemingly nowhere?

Answer.

You stop.

So I did.

And I was not disappointed.

Seriously, this place caught me by surprise when I rounded a curve and the trees and brush opened up to a small pasture with angelic-like rays of sunlight bursting through the trees on this serene little outdoor eatery.  So much so that, at the posted 35 mile an hour speed limit of course, I flew right by it and had to double back for what ended up being a quick, relaxing breakfast amongst only the noises of nature, and a damn good breakfast taco.

The people living the in the Sterling Acres area of town along the south bank of Lake Austin are incredibly fortunate to have this semi-secret little place in their neighborhood, because I'm certain that because of it's location 95% of its customers come from the neighboring secluded houses in the woods.  It's not a place anyone would just happen to drive by unless they're visiting friends in the area.  For you all, if you're in the mood for a short drive through the hills on a nice morning, I recommend making your way west for a nice breakfast over the morning paper, of which they have several copies available.

As far as food trailer atmosphere goes, it gives G'Raj Mahal a run for the money, and may actually nudge it out of the top spot just given the surroundings.

I ordered my standard chorizo egg taco, and asked for fresh jalapenos, but since they were out I opted for some freshly made pico de gallo instead.  Given the choice of red or green salsa, I opted for the green, the hotter of the two.

Wow, great taco, primarily because of the eggs and pico.  The soft tortilla was amply mounded with incredibly fluffy scrambled eggs, scattered with just a small amount of bacon bit sized and textured chorizo which was dry, by design and not unappetizingly so at all, but very flavorful.  The pico added an awesome fresh flavor to what was already an incredibly fresh tasting breakfast taco.  I could have eaten two, but one was just fine given the size.  The salsa was a perfect compliment, providing heat but not overpowering the flavor nor the overall enjoyment.  I got my taco within two minutes of ordering, but it certainly wasn't one that had been sitting around by any means.

So shhhhhhhhhhhh, don't tell anybody that this gem is here, save it for yourself.  Ok, just tell a few, because this is a place that you want to have around, so keep 'em in business.

Summary

Atmosphere:  food trailer, great outdoor seating area, covered, great for a relaxing breakfast alone or with family and friends

Food:  tacos and burritos

Dog Friendly:  yes

When to Go:  breakfast

Crowd:  neighbors

What to Order for the First Timer:  breakfast taco with eggs and pico de gallo

Maria's Taco Xpress - Austin, TX

I think Carlos Santana sang a song about this place, and I know Guy Fieri tried it out.  So it's got to be good, right?

Right.

I headed over there around eleven this morning for some breakfast and lunch together.  I'd heard good things about their migas taco, so wanted to try it, and figured I'd get something else at the recommendation of the staff.

Let's start with the place itself though.  I've never seen a place quite like it, unless you count the traveling carnival.  This place has more colors, in more places, than I've ever seen, and upon arrival you're greeted by a massive statue of Maria herself, welcoming you with open arms.  From the outside it's hard to see if this place is a food truck or a restaurant (it's the latter), as it's positioned in the parking lot of a Walgreens, and the entrance is no more than just an opening to a partially covered multi-story patio.

Yep, that's her.  You must be this tall to enter this restaurant.

Once you verify your height and are granted access to the carnival, you find a door and go inside to an order at the counter and wait for your number to be called restaurant.

I ordered my migas taco and asked the guy at the register what his favorite menu item was, and he immediately answered "pollo guisada" almost before I finished the question.  He explained that it was slow roasted and pulled chicken in a chipotle broth, and he gave me a little bowl of it to taste.  How could I refuse such confidence?  I didn't.

While I waited for the "Number 39" call, I ventured over to what I think is my favorite part of this whole place, the condiment bar.  I love condiment bars.  This one had fresh chopped onions that weren't at all wilted like they'd been sitting for hours, chopped cilantro, pico de gallo, a classic red salsa, a bright orange and smooth salsa, a dark verde salsa, and in a nod to Maria's homeland, a chile-laced chimichurri.

I got a little of each of the salsas, heard my number and sat down.  I quickly removed the migas taco from the container they both were in to save it from drowning in the chicken juice, and I'm glad I did.  I recommend you do to. The pollo guisada was very basic and very good.  The smokiness of the chipotle didn't really come through at all, but the chicken was tender and moist, and contrasted nicely with the shredded lettuce and chopped tomato which came on it.  I tried it with each of the salsas, and think with this one, I liked the orange one the best.  It had the best heat of all of them, and a good sweet flavor that went well with the chicken.

 Now, the migas taco.  This was like a migas taco like I've never had before.  It's like an egg pancake full  of onions, jalapenos, tomatoes and smashed tortilla chips, topped with a ton of cheddar cheese.  The flavor was awesome, and while I'm generally not a cheese on a breakfast taco kind of guy, I loved this because of the sheer volume of it (see picture below).  The other really nice thing about this was that it all stayed intact, and nothing fell out the back of the taco because it was one big pancake.  I once again tried all of the salsas with this one, and think the verde was my favorite, which is normally the case.

The chimichurri was something I had high hopes for, but I thought it fell a little short.  The spice was good, but it was overwhelmingly vinegary, not having been balanced out with some olive oil, and would have been very good on a smoked pulled pork sandwich but not so much on a taco.

I liked this place, and I want to hit it up on a Sunday morning, as I understand they have a full gospel choir for entertainment.  Good spot.  Don't shy away because it's been publicized on Triple D, it's still as Austin as Austin gets.

Summary

Atmosphere:  carnival-like restaurant, ample seating indoor and out, order at counter, mix and match salsas, good for a family, good for a group, good for a quick breakfast or lunch

Food:  mexican and tex-mex

Dog Friendly:  yes

When to Go:  breakfast, lunch, Sunday mornings

Crowd:  carnies

What to Order for the First Timer:  migas taco

Curra's Grill - Austin, TX

If the chorizo egg breakfast taco is your go to, there is absolutely no reason other than convenience to go anywhere but Curra's to get one.

Just incredible.

They're loaded with incredibly authentic and flavorful homemade chorizo, and for $1.50 each, one will satisfy you, and two will push it.

I got mine with chopped fresh jalapenos this morning.  We'll see how that pans out.

Now I know I've said in prior posts that I'm not a mathematician, but I really am.  So let's apply some associative math to Curra's.

Mr. Gordo's Favorite Breakfast Taco = Chorizo Egg

Curra's = Best Chorizo Egg Taco Mr. Gordo has had in the State of Texas

Curra's Chorizo Egg Taco = Best Breakfast Taco in Texas

There.  I said it.

Summary

Atmosphere:  bright authentic Mexican, family friendly

Food:  interior Mexican, done very well

Dog Friendly:  not sure, maybe on the porch but probably not encouraged

When to Go:  breakfast, lunch or dinner

Crowd:  families, groups, young and old, and most importantly, REAL Mexicans

What to Order for the First Timer:  chorizo egg tacos with borracho salsa, tacos al pastor, cochinita pibil

http://thefatartery.blogspot.com/2011/03/curras-grill-austin-tx.html

Whole Foods - Austin, TX

I'm really terrible with self-service food.

Made a salad at Whole Foods for lunch today.  Wonderful selection of ingredients, but I'm really bad at building.

At $7.99/pound my salad, pre-tax, cost $16.14.

I'm not a mathematician by any stretch of the imagination, but that's a two pound salad.

I'm also fairly certain that the cottage cheese / ranch dressing / shredded cheddar content of the salad negated any of the health benefits a salad provides, which frankly is the only reason I ever get one.

Damn.

Portabla - Austin, TX

I like my sandwich shops down and dirty.  Generally.

Portabla is certainly not that, but puts out some great sandwiches.  I'm a big fan of having this in the neighborhood.

This place comes off as a somewhat froofroo (froofru, frufru, separated?) place, which has the look of (and I'm not sexist by any means I promise you that) a rather girly place which is a catering operation cranking out counter food.

See?  Salads in plastic.

BUT, I'll go there anytime, because they really know what they're doing as far as sandwiches go, which is all I've had, and I think the real secret is the bread.  It's fantastic.

I've had two sandwiches here, the Italian Panini, and the hot All-Natural Roast Beef Panini.  I know I generally avoid paninis around these parts, having indicated before my hatred for Atdoh (Any Tom, Dick or Harry) buying a Foreman and opening up a shop.  Truth is, the paninis that Tom, Dick and Harry make are most of the time nothing more than a sandwich you'd make, on regular sliced bread, heated and pressed, but Mr. Portabla does it right, and I'll vouch for his paninis any day.

Today's Roast Beef Panini was a very well proportioned mix of roast beef, roasted tomato, cheddar, pepperocinis and red onion on fresh ciabatta bread.  The bread came out with a perfect crunchy and the insides warm and covered with melted cheddar.  The flavors of the condiments worked very well, and their texture held despite the sandwich being cooked.

Yeah, look at that!

The Italian Sub I had previously was also great.  Same great bread, cooked perfectly, with incredible flavor coming from salami, ham, cappocolla, basil pesto, roasted peppers, roasted tomatoes, provolone, pepperocini and artichoke hearts.

This is a great spot to meet someone for lunch during the week, or to pick up a sandwich to go.  The carry doesn't diminish the quality of the sandwich in the least.

Summary

Atmosphere:  fancy deli, lots of two tops, quaint, good spot to meet for lunch or to pick up food to go, no bar

Food:  sandwiches, paninis and more

Dog Friendly:  yes, a few tables outside

When to Go:  lunch

Crowd:  girls, women, businessmen

What to Order for the First Timer:  Italian Panini

Counter Cafe - Austin, TX

Yeah.



What you're thinking is correct.  And I'm not going to ruin it with words.

Summary:

Atmosphere:  old school skinny diner, countercentric, good for breakfast or lunch, good for the solo traveler, good for hangovers, not good for more than four

Food:  breakfast and lunch, upscale diner food with fresh ingredients, excellent

Dog Friendly:  yes, but limited space, just two outdoor tables and probably not dog friendly on a hot day, as one is on the blacktop and one on concrete with very limited shade

When to Go:  after a good night of drinking, late morning on Saturday or Sunday, and grab a beer while you wait for your table

Crowd:  diverse, students, neighborhood people, all age ranges, all socioeconomic levels (yeah, that's right, socioeconomic, ok though, not the homeless)

What to Order for the First Timer:  Breakfast:  Sausage and Blueberry Pancakes.  Lunch:  Counter Burger and Counter Fries.

Taco Joint - Dallas, TX

Alright, this is going to sound like I hate the place, but I don't.  I really like it, mainly for breakfast, despite all that I'm about to mention.  It's a place I want to hate, but can't.

First off, this place is a wannabe Austin taco shop, and makes no effort to hide it.   From the pumping in of Austin radio stations to the El Arroyo style, daily changing (notso)witty sign out front, this place tries to be Austin, and is fawned over by the Dallas prepsters who want to be Austin, but just can't bear to leave Dallas.

I HATE it when people rave over how good it is, and act like it's the best taco shop on earth.  It's not.  But it is good for what it is...a place to get a quick breakfast on the way to work, and a great place to cure a hangover with some breakfast tacos and queso.  That's where I found myself this morning, after having one glass of wine too many last night (see prior post).  Also, its probably the best gringo taco joint in Dallas, or at least that I've had.  Dallas has many taco stands and windows, but they are primarily true interior mexican tacos, and not the Americanized Tex-Mex that so many of us are accustomed to and which Taco Joint offers.

So I ventured over there around 9:30 and ordered a bean and cheese taco, a chorizo egg taco, and chips and queso.

The chips and queso is nothing more than a very thin combination of processed American cheese and mild Ro-tel tomatoes and chiles.  I want to hate it, because frankly you can make it as good or better at home for half the price, but who can hate Ro-tel?  Come on.  You can't!  Chips are thin and crispy, and served warm.  Good and good for you.

The breakfast tacos are good.  Starting at $2.29 for two ingredients, they're expensive for basic breakfast tacos, so I really want to hate them...buuuuuut they load them up, and they're worth every penny.

I have a few problems with the breakfast tacos in general.  One, they are folded and not rolled/burritoed, which results in substantial loss of innards while eating and also neck kinks.  You can see what I mean in the picture of this bean and cheese taco.  Why are we trying to make it look like its from Taco Bell???

Two, cheese is included on all tacos, like its some sort of gift to you, the customer.  OK, it's cheese, and I like cheese a lot, but its just shredded processed cheese and doesn't really add anything to the taco, with the exception of the bean and cheese, in which it adds a melty goodness that holds the refried beans to the tortilla.  It's not like it's a secret ingredient that makes these things what they are (we'll get to that in the chapter on sauces).  Third, they don't combine the fillings.  The chorizo egg taco isn't a wonderful combination of sausage and eggs which results in a beautiful, greasy mess, but is nothing more than good, fluffy scrambled eggs with a scoop of chorizo on top.  You can see this below:

MAN I hate these tacos!...but I don't at all.  They're really good.  They're great for what they are.  I get past the folding and spillage because they're loaded, and loaded with flavor.   The cheese being "included" is an annoying little marketing ploy, their gift to YOU, which adds nothing, but I'm over it.  As for the blending, the flavors are great so I can get past it.  And, the tortillas are great, warm and soft throughout, thick enough to handle the guts.

Oh, let me talk a bit about the chorizo.  Chorizo MY ARSE.  Ground beef with packaged taco seasoning.  Nothing more.  Not even from the pig!  Again, want to hate it, but just can't, because it tastes really, really good.  I love both the smell and the taste of taco dinner night as a kid growing up, and this takes you back to that spot.

Chapter 2:  Sauces

Alright, another of my beefs (not to be confused with CHORIZO) about people's blind love of this place is that if you ask them why it's so good, more often than not they'll say it's the jalapeno ranch dressing.  (By the way for those not in the know, Dallas is obsessed with ranch dressing, and frankly, I love it on about anything.)  Look, a salad dressing makes not the place.   AND, who puts salad dressing on their tacos anyway?  I really want to hate this sauce...but I can't.  Because it really is awesome.  It's a cool offset to the one-temperature breakfast taco, and it's got really strong jalapeno flavor and a good kick, and is the perfect complement to the Old El Paso Chorizo Egg Taco Bell taco. I mean, it's really, really good.

Tomatillo salsa:  terrible, don't bother.  Ok, so there we go.  I DO hate their tomatillo salsa.  Too sweet, no heat, and consistency like its out of a jar, which it most likely is.  I'll say this...block cheese, ro-tel, jarred salsa, ground beef and Old El Paso, and a big following...these guys have GOT to be making money, and I'm glad they are, because that means I can keep going there for breakfast, which I love.

Lunch?  Not much more than a slightly better quality Taco Bell...but again, good for what it is, and if you have a craving....this place hits the spot.

I know this was a weird review.  To sum it up though, I'm a fan.

Summary

Atmosphere:  in-line retail in the hood somewhat, large noisy space, plenty of tables, counter to sit at, self-service salsas, lots of people young and old

Food:  higher quality Taco Bell

Dog Friendly:  no

When to Go:  breakfast

Crowd:  Dallas prepsters, wannabe Austinites, hipsters, beatniks, doctors, nurses, groups of girls, groups of guys, groups of girls and guys, businesspeople, hotchicks, golfers, all walks of life really

Curra's Grill - Austin, TX

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Currrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssss....

I love this place, and I've started many a morning there having some sort of egg and sauce plate with beans and tortillas, and perhaps most importantly, their Oaxacan coffee, which is the best coffee you'll find in Austin in my opinion, and which you can by whole bean or ground from the good folks at Curra's if you ask nicely.  Let me come back to breakfast another time though.  Yesterday, I stopped in for lunch.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I've had a number of items from Curra's menu, and I've yet to be disappointed.  This is a place I hit often enough that I continually try new things in addition to going to back to my favorites.  Yesterday, I was in a mole mood, so I went with a simple plate of chicken enchiladas topped with their mole.  I'd had the mole several times for breakfast, ladled over scrambled eggs, which I then add to a warm flour tortilla that I've painted with refried pinto beansmmhmmmmmhmmmmmhmmmmhmhmmmhmmmmhmmmmhmmmmhmmmhmm...er, uh, excuse me...had it before and like it a lot.

I love good moles, though I'll admit I'm not an expert on them.  I guess you'd call this one either a poblano mole or a red mole, though I'm not sure, I just know it's good.  And I also know that you can get some pretty crappy dirt-tasting moles.  Not here.  Curra's is a deep red, and like any good mole, has layers of flavors resulting in a complex, but balanced attack on your palate.

I digress for a minute, bear with me.  Let's get associative.  I'm guessing there are a bunch of you who don't know what a mole is, or haven't had one, or have vowed never to get one again after being served chicken with runny mud on top of it.  Well I liken a good mole to a good bottle of blended wine.  A good Bordeaux, which is likely to be mostly cabernet sauvignon or merlot, is blended with some combination of malbec, cab franc, petite verdot, and others, each which brings a different flavor, texture, or weight resulting in a final product which, when done well, hits every part of your tongue in a smooth and mellow manner, with layers of flavors that result in something much more interesting than a single varietal like a cabernet or merlot on it's own.  Sweet balances alcohol, fruit balances earth, heavy balances light, and it all sings.  Moles are similar, a blend of twenty or thirty chiles, spices, nuts, fruits, and chocolates prepared individually and cooked together to hit every taste bud in your mouth...bitter, salty, sweet, and savory.  Mole and claret.  The great ones result in something really special, but if you opt for a cheap one, you get dirt.

Back to the meal.  Curra's mole is a good, earthy mix, which leans toward bitter, but not aggressively.  It lacks heat, and has no real evidence of chocolate, but just layers great earthy flavors with a touch of sweetness to soften it.  The chicken is juicy, without any real spice of its own making it a perfect vehicle for the mole's ride.  The refried pintos here are good, but not great, but I really like them, I guess more as a condiment than anything.  They're on the runnier side, and lack any smoke or meat flavoring, but add a little salt and it works.  The rice is a filler, not much to it other than white rice blended with some carrots and lima beans.  No spice.  That said, both those sides do great work on focusing you on the main, which they've cooked with care and it shows.

As far as what to expect when you walk in, it's just a good, lively place with a brightly colored rustic look that seems authentic as opposed to kitschy.  There's outdoor seating and a bar which you can sit at, though the place doesn't carry the vibe of one where you might want to belly up solo and make an evening of it.  It's a better bar for grabbing a quick bite for breakfast, lunch or dinner if you're alone.  Which I've done.  A lot.   It's also a great family spot, or spot to take a screaming baby, as well as a good spot for a group dinner.

I highly recommend Curra's, and will go so far as to say at this point its my favorite Mexican place in Austin, and I've tried a lot of them.  But this post is long enough, so I'll do an overall review of the place another time.  In the meantime, GO.

Summary

Atmosphere:  bright authentic Mexican, family friendly

Food:  interior Mexican, done very well

Dog Friendly:  not sure, maybe on the porch but probably not encouraged

When to Go:  breakfast, lunch or dinner

Crowd:  families, groups, young and old, and most importantly, REAL Mexicans

What to Order for the First Timer:  chorizo egg tacos with borracho salsa, tacos al pastor, cochinita pibil

Counter Cafe - Austin, TX

I know, I know, I just did this one.  I won't do it every time I go, and will make this quick, but I wanted to share this mainly because I reiterate that this place is great, and this time I took some pictures.

I went simple with scrambled eggs, sausage, toast and counter potatoes.  The eggs were great, clearly scrambled in a well seasoned (read: used) pan, perfectly cooked.  The sausage was fresh and great as usual, but a little different today.  Rather than the red pepper flakes which gave the last batch I had a subtle kick, these were seasoned very well today with what I'm guessing was sage.  Nice to see that a place with a limited menu like this can switch things up ever so slightly, executing perfectly, to keep diners coming back to see what's next.  Toast was toasted bread, nothing special about it, but was served with a homemade strawberry jam which was very well done.  Counter potatoes, deep fried and then finished in a pan with onion.  Awesome.

MGord had the same thing as last time, a pancake and a side of bacon.  I think I failed to describe the bacon last time, but it is really, really good.  Quality bacon cooked well done to where it's crispy but not crumbly.  Today's pancake was slightly sweeter, almost cakelike, which was exactly what she was looking for this morning and which was wonderful, which I can vouch for.  And I wasn't lying when I said it was big in my last review...

Summary

It's been two days, see the last review.

Screaming Goat - Austin, TX

First off, full disclosure, this is my go to breakfast taco spot.  It's just a short walk from my house, which makes it the most convenient option, but it also has really great breakfast tacos and a mean tomatillo salsa with a kick.  I've also only been there for breakfast, so my review is purely that.  I'd like to try it for lunch, but honestly probably wouldn't hit it up for happy hour or dinner, as the atmosphere is more conducive to a quick breakfast or lunch.  That said, I LOVE this place for breakfast tacos, there or at home.

Went there again this morning to pick up breakfast tacos for me and MLWMG.  I had my go to combinations.  One chorizo egg...oh wait...

OK, now then.  One chorizo egg and one bacon, bean and egg.  Mandy opted for a bacon and egg and a Clint.

So these things basically run $1.60, but they are packed, and dense.  One and a half is perfect for a normal human being, but two is doable, but you won't need a big lunch.  They do these right, mixing all of the ingredients instead of adding them one at a time to the tortilla.  The chorizo has awesome flavor, the bacon is crumbled and flavorful, and the beans are pinto and smoky.  I'm not going to tell you what to get for breakfast at a place where everything is good, so choose your poison, but make sure to get it with their roasted tomatillo salsa, a homemade green salsa with a tartness and heat that'll smack you in the face and wake you up.  Enjoy.

Summary:

Atmosphere:  in an old house with tables in each room, good for meeting for breakfast or lunch, but not necessarily a place to make an evening out of.

Food:  tacos, burritos, flautas, and burgers

When to Go:  breakfast

Dog Friendly:  no

Crowd:  students, working stiffs, 20somethings, and people with hangovers

What to Order for the First Timer:  whatever kind of breakfast taco you like, with tomatillo salsa

Counter Cafe - Austin, TX

I'd seen this place before, but only really heard about when the Texas Monthly Top 50 Burgers in Texas came out, and I believe had them as the second best burger in the state.  I'll get to the burger shortly, but will say here that I agree it's great.

First off, I'd classify this place as an upscale dive.  The upscale is related to the quality and freshness of the food, while the dive represents the atmosphere, which is very much the old school counter/flat-top/diner model.  It's only open for breakfast and lunch, and is great for both.  Don't get too big of a group together though, as the seating for anymore than two is limited to only a few tables.  It's a great place though to grab a bite if you're by yourself.  Belly up at the counter and watch the short order cooks go to work while you sip on a can of Lone Star.

I've had breakfast there a couple of times.  The first time I went was with a group of friends, five of us, and we were lucky to immediately get one of the two picnic tables in the parking lot out front.   I did as I typically do and asked the waitress what the best thing on the menu was.  She told me to get the benedict, but substitute breakfast sausage for the pastrami.  Yeah, pastrami.  I thought that sounded great, but the sausage was a good call.  You could tell it was fresh, homemade sausage.  If you've ever made your own sausage, without adding a bunch of extra fat, you notice that it's very light colored, almost white, when it's done.  This is what you get here, and it's great.  Good clean sausage, feels healthy, with light seasoning and just enough heat from what looks like red pepper flakes to wake up your tongue and start your morning off right.  The eggs were poached perfectly and the hollandaise was great.  I added a bit of hot sauce to each bite, and it was really awesome.  I'll get this again, and this gets a Fat Artery award for both tasting great while fattening the arteries.

Second time I went for breakfast was with my lovely wife, and we took Nicki and Pearl, the labs, with us and got seats at a picnic table outside alongside two UT students, one who appeared to be, like, sorority, and one who seemed a little grounded.  One hungover, and one fresh for the day.  Both very nice though, I can't knock either.  Anyway, I had to have the sausage again, so got an order of that and one blueberry pancake.  The sausage didn't disappoint, and the pancake was great.  First off, it was the size of a plate and at least a half inch thick, so I did well with an order of one.  Great blueberry content, lots of them, large blueberries, and uniformly throughout.  I wiped it with butter, drenched it in syrup, and ate most of my bites with a piece of sausage.

I've only eaten lunch at the Counter Cafe once, but it certainly won't be my last.  Mid-afternoon I took a seat at the bar, and was surprised from behind by the waitress as opposed to where I expected to see her, behind the counter.  Guess they've got that reserved for the cooks.  Anyway, I had to get the burger, so I did, along with counter fries and a can of Lone Star.  Nothing disappointed, and I agree that the burger is one of the best.  Medium thickness patty grilled over gas on a well-seasoned grill, topped with fresh ingredients and set on a really soft buttered and griddled bun.  It was nice sized but not so big as to stuff you.  Everything on the menu looks really good, but unless I hit this place up more than once a week, I'll be hard pressed to stray from this.

Summary:

Atmosphere:  old school skinny diner, countercentric, good for breakfast or lunch, good for the solo traveler, good for hangovers, not good for more than four

Food:  breakfast and lunch, upscale diner food with fresh ingredients, excellent

Dog Friendly:  yes, but limited space, just two outdoor tables and probably not dog friendly on a hot day, as one is on the blacktop and one on concrete with very limited shade

When to Go:  after a good night of drinking, late morning on Saturday or Sunday, and grab a beer while you wait for your table

Crowd:  diverse, students, neighborhood people, all age ranges, all socioeconomic levels (yeah, that's right, socioeconomic, ok though, not the homeless)

What to Order for the First Timer:  Breakfast:  Sausage and Blueberry Pancakes.  Lunch:  Counter Burger and Counter Fries.